A Mexican Drug Cartel Was Making Your Margaritas More Expensive (But Coke And Weed Cheaper! Maybe)

If you ever wondered why a 20-ounce margarita made with tequila that’s less expensive than the glass you’re drinking it out of cost you $10, blame the limes–and the Mexican drug cartel The Knights Templar.

According to a report from NPR, for the last decade, The Knights Templar cartel has controlled the lime trade in Mexico. The cartel caused prices to skyrocket by imposing “taxes” on the farmers of Michoacán and it also dictated when and where the farmers were allowed to sell, as well as to whom and at what price. So, because of this Mexican drug cartel’s greed–a cartel that robbed and bullied poor Mexican farmers for its own selfish gain–warm weather day drinking for middle and upper class Americans became slightly less affordable. Those sons of bitches. But hey, by a vague, general rule of economics, that means maybe, sort of, the cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs trafficked by The Knights Templar were a little cheaper, so there’s that!

Thankfully for Mexican farmers, and more importantly, Gulf Coast alcoholics, the Mexican people have retaken control of the lime crops. The surprisingly sudden competence of the Mexican federal police helped get the situation on track, as well as a little vigilante justice. Seriously.

But since a federal police crackdown in the state and the emergence of civilian militias, the cartel has been on the run. Several top leaders have been either killed or arrested, and three mayors and a former governor of Michoacan have been arrested on charges of colluding with organized crime.

Now, Mexican farmers are making record profits on their lime crops, even while the price drops as boom turns to bust in Michoacán. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that in the last few months, the price of a lime has dropped nearly 60 cents. Still, the record profits are thanks mostly to the fact a group that has seriously veered away from its duty to protect the Holy Grail isn’t extorting farmers anymore.

Personally, I’ll take the cheaper margs over cheaper drugs, if we’re acting like they’re more related than they probably actually were. For starters, I drink margaritas WAY more than I do drugs. Also, we’re on our way to fantastic, legal, ‘MERICAN MADE marijuana, thanks to decriminalization and legalization. Plus, if there’s anything I already expected to break the bank on before buying, it’s cocaine.